"I want Mommy!" Aaron cried as Jack carried him through Kate's front door. Jack took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool as Aaron wailed in his ear for Kate.

"Kate?" He cried out desperately. The house remained silent. He knew before he said it that she wouldn't be. "Buddy, let's go get you a shower and then Dad needs a shower," Jack mumbled. Both boys were splattered with vomit, making him wonder if Aaron was too young for the L.A. Dodgers game. As much as he would have loved to be able to wash himself quicker, he was glad Kate wasn't there to remind him that he had ignored her warnings about the heat. Being able to hide simple parenting mistakes was about the only positive about co-parenting.

He washed Aaron off with the adjustable shower head as if the boy were a dog until he were clean enough to switch to a bath.

He was grateful that he'd left a pair of basketball shorts and some old tee shirts at Kate's. It was his day to co-parent and had Aaron not begged for Kate they would have been spending the night at Jack's.

As he showered, he tried not to think about where Kate was. Since the breakup, he knew better than to ask her about herself, especially her whereabouts. Still he hoped this was one of her long visits with Hurley where he confided in her things he didn't tell another soul. He'd reveal to her conversations he had with fallen friends; conversations that she'd never once exposed to anyone, Jack included. And in return, she spruced up his room, bringing him Apollo bars, expensive toiletries, clothes and other things that never once crossed Jack's mind to bring him.

"Mommy!" Aaron cried, growing fussy.

"Buddy, how about you take a nap in Mom's bed so when she gets home she'll be right there?" He offered, rubbing the boy's back. Although Aaron always demanded Kate when he was sick, Jack knew it didn't help that Aaron was tired and cranky.

When he finally got Aaron down for a nap, he grabbed a beer from the fridge, studying the display of papers on the fridge. Photos, drawings and cards splattered the fridge; some had been there since before he had won Kate over and others had been added after he'd lost her. He hated the way it proved Kate had begun living her life without him.

Out of curiosity, he rummaged through the scattered pieces of mail on her island. He knew it was wrong to rifle through her things, especially her mail. Still, her secrecy had only pushed him to find out more. He grabbed a thick envelope, immediately intrigued. He gave a quick glance out the window to ensure Kate wasn't pulling up.

The sting of the brochure's title cut him the same moment as a paper cut. Kate had ordered information on in vitro fertilization. And sperm donors. He knew Kate wanted a baby. Although they had agreed to wait until their wedding to have a baby together they rarely bothered with protection as a couple. What he didn't know is that Kate was considering doing this on her own. And with a man she'd never know.

He thought of all the times he'd imagined Kate, pregnant and glowing. He imagined a little boy or girl with impossibly deep green eyes and a splash of freckles. Now, his dreams were coming true without him.

His mind raced with questions. Why hadn't she talked to him? When did she plan to tell him? And mostly, why didn't she ask Jack to be the donor?

As he paced her living room waiting for her return, he couldn't help but imagine if he were that donor. They were doing a good job of raising Aaron together. They'd been through hell and back and before his addiction to pills took over his life, they were good together. It didn't take long for him to realize that he was the best choice for Kate's child. That quickly turned to determination to be the father. If Kate hadn't made her mind up yet, there was still time.

He would be the father of Kate's child.